Mars abandons US pledge to remove artificial colors

Mars has abandoned its 2016 pledge to remove artificial colors, associated with behavioral problems in children, from its US portfolio.

• MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ – Mars, Incorporated announced today that it will remove all artificial colors from its human food products as part of a commitment to meet evolving consumer preferences. ... If it's the right thing to do for them, it's the right thing to do for Mars."

In 2016, confectionery and packaged food giant Mars announced plans to remove synthetic food colorings from its US portfolio of products, including M&Ms and Skittles.

The colors Red 40, Yellow 5, and others have been associated with behavioral problems in children. Brands that choose to use them in Europe, for instance, must add a warning to the product packaging that they may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

However, Mars has rolled back on its promise to US consumers. A statement on its global website reads: “[The 2016 announcement] was based on our belief, at the time, that a critical mass of our consumer base was seeking more natural ingredients and would welcome this change.

The company said it would continue to prioritize its efforts to remove artificial colors in Europe “where consumers have expressed this preference”, but that it would not be removing all artificial colors from the Mars Wrigley portfolio in other markets.

Artificial colors are widely used in US products. In 2014, researchers collected over 800 products from one grocery store in North Carolina and found that over 43% contained artificial food colors. The most common artificial food colors used were Red 40 (accounting for 29.8% of products), followed by Blue 1 (24.2%), Yellow 5 (20.5%), and Yellow 6 (19.5%), while candies (96.3%), fruit-flavored snacks (94%), and drink mixes and powders (89.7%) were the most prevalent categories.